Three winners in Rural by Design art contest

June 27, 2018

Everyone is invited to explore and enjoy the Rural By Design contest art, on display in the Rural Development Institute.

Brandon University’s Rural Development Institute (RDI) is pleased to announce the three winners of the Rural by Design Student Art Contest. The winners are Lindsay Michiels, a second-year student in Physical Education; Kira Toth, a second-year student in Psychiatric Nursing; and Liam Shamray, a first-year student in Business Administration.

This was the first year for RDI’s Rural by Design Student Art Contest, which covered the 2017–18 academic year. Using the theme of “Show us what rural means to you,” all BU students were invited to submit their original works. The contest was not limited to any specific medium and was open to photography, paintings, graphic design, digital illustrations, and more. Students also submitted short essays on their work and how it illustrates what rural means to them.

“This contest has reached students across campus and engaged them in thinking about the concept of ‘rural’ in a new and exciting way,” said Dr. Bill Ashton, Director of RDI. “Having winners from three different faculties shows how both art and rurality can reach across academic fields.”

This contest was a part of RDI’s community engagement activities to strengthen the Institute’s relationships with Brandon University students and faculty. RDI worked closely with the Visual & Aboriginal Art Department and the Brandon University Fine Arts Students Association (BUFASA) to develop the contest rules and parameters, as well as to help with advertising to students.

Winners were selected by a jury panel that featured a mix of Rural Development and Fine Arts expertise. The panel included Melanie Barnett, a Fine Arts student and 2017–18 Chair of BUFASA; Cathy Mattes, Associate Professor of Visual and Aboriginal Art and Gender and Women’s Studies; Vonique Mason-Edwards, a Masters of Rural Development student; and Ariel Bryant, the Rural Development Institute’s Engagement Liaison.

The contest was sponsored by local on-campus business Forbidden Flavors, who provided gift cards as part of the prize packages for the three winners.

The winning artwork and short essays are on display in the RDI office gallery, located in the lower concourse of the McMaster Building, Brandon University. Guests are welcome to walk through and view the artwork during office hours.